


Colors

by LadyKnightSkye



Series: Colors [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, ShieldShock - Freeform, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Various Soulmate Bonds, soul colors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-12-30 07:19:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12103581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKnightSkye/pseuds/LadyKnightSkye
Summary: Steven Grant Rogers is born without a Mark, Initials, or Sigil.Darcy Elizabeth Lewis refuses to name her colors at five years of age.Neither was concerned with their Soulmate until they attend Tony Stark's birthday party . . .





	Colors

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Em_Jaye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Em_Jaye/gifts).



> A birthday fic for Em_Jaye.

Steven Grant Rogers was born without a Mark, Sigil, Initials, or Pattern. His mother searched over his tiny body, but the smooth pink skin was unmarred by black, blue, or any color in between. She didn’t worry much. He could have a String, a Watch, Empathy, or Writing. Sarah Rogers didn’t worry until her baby boy was ten. He didn’t see a String, his wrist didn’t have numbers counting down, and he scribbled on his arms all the time with no reply. He never felt emotions other than his own, or saw things that weren’t there. In fact, he turned out to be completely color blind. She discovered it when he was four, and couldn’t name colors.

Instead, he learned colors through his friend Bucky. The young Barnes boy taught him that grass was green, and the gray of grass would be the same gray of almost anything that was green. Blood was red, and the gray of blood was the gray of hearts and roses and sometimes the dresses dames wore out on dates with Bucky. The sky was blue, even if all he ever saw was gray. Steve didn’t let his inability to see colors keep him from becoming an artist. After his mother passed, he was able to help support himself and Bucky by drawing cartoons and advertisements. 

~~~  
After the serum, the colorblindness didn’t go away, which if Erskine had lived might have stumped him. All of Steve’s other disabilities and health problems had disappeared the moment he stepped out of the pod. He also didn’t magically develop any sort of Soul Bond that he could decipher. He’d thought before that the Powers that Be were trying to tell him something, that he wouldn’t live long enough to have a Soulmate, that one of his illnesses would finally kill him. Now, he had no idea why he didn’t have a Bond. 

When he was flying over the Arctic, he realized it was because he wasn’t going to survive the war.  
~~  
When Darcy Elizabeth Lewis was born, she didn’t have a physical Soul Bond. Her mother and father didn’t seem to mind, as their Soul Bond had been a Watch. They would wait and see. So they did. They watched as their sweet baby girl grew into a vibrant child. However, she never mentioned seeing Strings, or numbers on her wrist, or mysterious writing. When they visited Darcy’s pediatrician at her yearly check up, her doctor had frowned.  
“She’s hitting all her developmental benchmarks,” Dr. Simmons said. “How is she doing at Kindergarten?”

“Fine,” Mrs. Lewis had replied, “Except, she refuses to learn her colors. The teacher says that she ignores her when she asks for Darcy to name her colors.”

The doctor nodded before turning to Darcy. He was a kindly old man, his wrinkled face almost always wreathed in a smile. “Darcy Girl,” he said in his jovial voice, “Why aren’t you naming your colors?”

The little girl was all of five, and she looked embarrassed. “Don’t wanna.”

The doctor nodded, and told the little family to give him a moment. He returned to the room holding some flash cards. “Darcy Girl, can you see the numbers?”

The girl squinted at the cards, but shook her head. He showed her three more, but she couldn’t see any of the numbers. “As I thought,” Dr. Simmons said, “she’s colorblind.”

Her mother bit her lip. “I was afraid of that. But . . . I was more worried about her not showing a Soul Bond. I know most kids don’t have one until they’re approaching their teens, but . . .”

Dr. Simmons grinned. “I know, but her not having a Soul Bond yet isn’t uncommon.” Then, he got a gleam in his eye. “And actually . . . She could already have a Soul Bond. It’s incredibly, incredibly rare, and easily mistaken with actual genetic colorblindness, but she may have Soul Colors.”

Mrs. Lewis frowned. “I’ve never heard of Soul Colors.”

Dr. Simmons chuckled. “As I said they are very rare. Maybe one in a million.”

“But what is it? How do Soul Colors work?” Mr. Lewis asked.

“Soul Colors work a bit differently from other Bonds, yes,” Dr. Simmons began, “While Timers and Strings give a psychic guide, and Sigils, Writing, and the others give clues, Soul Colors do nothing to guide Soul Mates together. Your daughter won’t have any prior warning. No communication, no emotions, no guides. Scientists theorize that the reason that it’s so rare is the only clue you get. There’s a very limited pool of candidates.”

“But how will she know?” Mrs. Lewis pressed.

“Soulmates with Soul Colors can only perceive color after they meet their Soulmate. Then, based on what research has been done on them, they will be able to see color for the rest of their lives. They have to consummate the Soul Bond, but luckily, they don’t need to actually touch like the others, they only need to lock eyes. In almost all cases they also experience love at first sight. I did a thesis on Soul Colors in college, and ever single case I looked at mentioned the instant emotional bond. Only Empaths show the same proclivity.”

“So,” Mr. Lewis asked, “how do we know if that’s her Bond, or if she’s truly colorblind?”

Dr. Simmons sighed. “Well, there’s no real way to be sure. Colorblind people will have another Soul Guide. If she doesn’t develop another Soul Bond, then she has Soul Colors.”

~~

As the years passed, Darcy never did develop another Bond, so her mother registered her with the Soul Colors Association of America. They found out that there were only about twenty-three people with Soul Colors in the entire country. The Association told the Lewises that they would help Darcy find her Soulmate when she turned eighteen. Sure enough, her first outing with the Association was a week after her eighteenth birthday. However, it was a wash out – while six of the other ten hopefuls found their other halves, she didn’t. She didn’t despair at first because she was one of four who didn’t. 

However, her hope faded as the years went by, and the world continued to be gray.  
~~

When they thawed him out, the last thing on Steve’s mind was Soulmates. In fact, he never gave much thought to them. First it was aliens, then HYDRA, then Bucky, then Ultron . . . He never felt like he had the time to worry, especially since any Soulmate he had was either knocking on death’s door or already there. He watched his friends find theirs though. Natasha and Bucky were bound by a red String only they could see. Tony and Pepper had each other’s Initials emblazoned over their hearts (though their relationship predated Tony being his friend). Wanda and Scott zeroed out their Timers when they met during the nearly disasterous “Civil War” incident, and Hope had found herself and Rhodey with the same Sigil on their left hand. At the moment, he, Sam, and Vision were the only ones without Soulmates.

And Tony felt like throwing a party. 

It was his birthday, and the birthday boy wanted a huge costume party to celebrate. Reluctantly, Steve dusted off his old dress uniform and styled his hair. He figured that Tony would have to be happy with a 40s soldier as Steve’s costume. He arrived just in time to walk in with Bucky and Natasha, both dressed as werewolves. They had on wolf ears and had painted their faces to make them look furry. Natasha also wore a dark gown, and Bucky was in a tux. “Nice costume,” he said, giving Steve a ‘really?’ look.

Steve shrugged. “I couldn’t think of anything else to be,” he admitted. 

“Well,” Natasha said, smoothing down one of his sleeves, “you look nice. Maybe we can find you a nice girl to hang out with.”

“Yeah,” Bucky replied, “didn’t that girl with Thor show up dressed like a 40s dame? Maybe we could make a matched set!”

Steve sighed, thoroughly fed up with Nat’s matchmaking. He followed them in, and was met with a sea of costumes. There were witches, clowns, and all manner of fictional characters. Tony had dressed up as Sherlock and was presiding over his party from a dais near the DJ. Pepper sat with him, dressed as a Victorian lady. Wanda and Scott waved to the trio from one of the many refreshment tables, dressed as Robin Hood and Maid Marian. Without warning, a large, cartoonish eagle with a stern face stepped in front of them. “Hi guys!”

Natasha burst into laughter, and Steve and Bucky just stared. The eagle had spoken with Sam’s voice. “Really?” Nat finally sputtered. “Sam the Eagle? _You came as a walking pun?_ ”

The eagle shrugged, and looked over at Steve and Bucky. “Really, you guys haven’t gotten to the Muppets yet? We’ll have to fix that at our next Guys Night.”

Steve shrugged, looking around. He was thinking of finding a drink and then loitering off to the side of the party for awhile. Music started up, something with an upbeat tempo and Latin rhythms that had Nat dragging Bucky onto the dance floor. Sam waved to Steve as he quickly went to pursue a young woman to dance with. The super soldier wandered a bit, before he saw Thor and his girl standing off to the side, chatting with a senator that looked vaguely familiar. This couple were dressed in matching outfits as well, both of them wearing dark suits and sunglasses. The room was brightly lit, but not enough to need sunglasses. With them was a woman dressed in a style that he was intimately familiar with. Her hair was also caught up into an updo that he remembered. He had no idea what it was called, but he’d seen it on many a woman back in the 40s. She must have been the one Nat and Bucky mentioned earlier. He thought for a moment about going to talk to her, when she turned.

Their eyes met.

The world exploded, and Steve nearly stumbled as he took several deep breaths. It felt almost like when he’d first stepped out of Erskine’s pod and had been able to breath properly for the first time in his life. Something clicked in his soul, and he knew. He knew who this woman was. 

~~  
Darcy had been listening to Jane natter on for what seemed like hours. She was glad that her friend had managed to find someone to talk to at this party, but Senator Hogan seemed way too interested in Einstein-Rosen Bridges, or maybe he was too interested in Jane. She couldn’t tell what Thor was thinking through the big blond’s sunglasses. She had to admit though, their costumes were a stroke of genius. Being Agent J and Agent T for this shindig showed some balls since half of the newly formed SHIELD had been invited. She turned her back on the Men in Black, and looked about the room. 

That’s when she saw him. She looked at his chest first, impressed as her eyes roamed up to met his. Then, the world exploded, and she felt like she’d just had a strong orgasm, except it shivered out from her heart instead of her lady bits. The man had been handsome in shades of gray, but in color – _oh God he was in COLOR!_ – he was a thing of beauty. She didn’t have the knowledge to name the colors to herself, but she could tell that his eyes were as light as his hair, and his skin must be “white” since hers was the same. 

They stood there like that, staring across at least thirty feet of rented ballroom before she took a tentative step forward. This was her Soulmate, the person who had been destined to give her back her Colors. He’d held them bundled up in his eyes for God knew how long, and now here he was, giving them back to her. She took another step, and he finally moved. 

It was like watching a panther. His big body moved with deadly grace, each movement economical, but effective, and she couldn’t stop the little bit of wondering. What would this man be like in bed? Would he be laser-focused and intense, or playful and lighthearted? Would he vacillate between both? Wait a minute, he was coming over here, _what the hell was she going to say to him?!_

“What color are your eyes?” he said to her, solving her dilemma before she could get her brain to wrap around it. In the mere seconds it had taken him to approach, he’d not broken their held gaze. His voice was low, a honeyed baritone that only served to make Darcy’s lady parts sing in response.

She swallowed, licking her lips. “My mom told me I have blue eyes.”

“Blue,” he whispered. “My mother told me my eyes were blue, too.”

_Blue_. Darcy knew blue was the color of the ocean and sky, and she suddenly couldn’t wait to find out if his eyes were closer to one or the other. That’s when she remembered her book. She reached out without thinking, grabbing his arm and dragging him along back towards the coat check. He went with her willingly, and neither seemed to be perturbed by the attention they were getting. Darcy spoke to the guy running the check, and he brought her purse. It was a huge messenger style bag, and she rummaged around it to pull out a small cardboard book. She returned her purse to the man at the check in, and then dragged her Soulmate back to an alcove set off from the main ballroom. 

He was looking at her quizzically, until he caught sight of the cover of the book. Then he grinned. She smiled back. “I carry it just in case,” she said with a laugh, “So we won’t be stumbling around in the dark.”

His laugh was rich and clear, and Darcy realized that she could listen to it for hours on end. She opened up the book titled Colors and pointed to the first page. “Red.”

Her Soulmate looked up, and pointed to a woman on the dance floor. “Natasha’s hair is red.” He looked back at her. “So is your dress.”

Darcy beamed at him. “Her hair is beautiful.” She turned the page. “That’s blue. Well, it’s darker than your eyes –“

“It’s a shade of blue,” he agreed. “Your eyes are closer to it.”

She turned the page again. “Green.”

“Grass is green,” he said solemnly, causing Darcy to laugh. “Sorry, it’s what Bucky told me when we were kids. He tried to teach me how to tell apart colors.”

“He sounds like a stand up friend,” she murmured. “Jane just helps me by telling me what colors clothes are when we go shopping.”

“Yeah, but we had an easier time of it back in the day. Clothes came in four colors – and all of them matched one another,” her Soulmate snorted.

“Back in the day? What day? The 90s?” Darcy laughed.

He just blinked at her. “ . . . Soulmate, do you know who I am?”

She snorted, and shook her head as she turned to page. “No. Should I?”

When silence greeted her, Darcy looked back up into the incredulous eyes of both her Soulmate, and Tony Stark who had just waltzed into their little alcove. “Seriously, Lewis, you don’t know who he is?!” Stark barked.

“Tony, does Pepper know you’ve slipped your leash?” she shot back, and out of the corner of her eye, saw three people approach – one of them the previously mentioned Natasha.

“You sass Tony?” her Soulmate breathed. “God, I love you.”

“Movin’ fast aren’t ya, Cap?” Stark asked with a grin. 

“Steve,” the dark haired man that had just walked up asked, “Who’s the dame?”

“Dame? What am I, a French matron?” Darcy snarked. 

Her Soulmate – Steve – chuckled. “Oh God,” the man said with a look of utter terror, “There are two of them.”

“It’s ok, Buck, she’s my Soulmate.”

The four people standing froze, but Darcy focused on the more important part of that last statement. “Buck? As in Bucky? Your friend that tried to teach you colors?”

“Yeah,” Steve replied, “Bucky here is my oldest friend.”

“Emphasis on oldest,” Stark said absently.

That’s when it hit her. Her Soulmate knew Tony Stark. Her Soulmate knew a guy called Bucky, and woman called Natasha. Her Soulmate’s name was Steve. _Holy shit._  
~~

Steve saw it, the moment she realized who he was. Her eyes went wide, and her mouth formed a little “o” of surprise. However, her next statement completely took him off guard. “So, who’s the Muppet?”

“Sam Wilson, nice to meet you.” The eagle held out a wing. 

“. . . Sam the Falcon came as Sam the Eagle?” his Soulmate breathed. “Really?”

“I know!” Natasha agreed. She held out a fist, and his Soulmate met her halfway. 

“Jesus, there are two of them,” Sam muttered. 

“No, there are two _Steves_.”

“Or,” his Soulmate said, her dander firmly up, “There could just be a Steve and a Darcy.”

“Yeah,” Steve agreed, giving his friends a gimlet stare. He’d even used his Captain voice. “A Steve and Darcy Rogers,” he said, then leaned over to her, “Unless you want to keep your maiden name. I know that’s a thing now.”

She looked amused, while the rest of their little group looked appalled. Darcy just put her hands to her heart. “Dude, you were my one historical figure crush in high school. Of course I’m taking your name.”

“I don’t have a ring,” he murmured, enjoying the looks of complete horror on his friends’ faces. 

“It’s okay,” she laughed, “Their faces are red.”

“I know,” he replied, leaning in closer to her. “It’s fun isn’t it?”

Darcy threw back her head with laughter. She leaned into him, and he took her book. “So, guys, could you please leave me and my fiancée alone?”

Tony and Sam were sputtering, Nat had her mouth hanging open, and Bucky was bug-eyed. “You’re serious,” he said incredulously.

“Yeah, I am,” he said, staring into Darcy’s blue eyes. 

“Can I help pick out the ring?” she asked.

“Of course.”

She leaned over, and touched her lips to his. They were soft and warm, but before he could get more than a peck she pulled away. With a growl he glared at his friends who were still standing over them with an array of disbelieving looks – well except for Sam whose eagle mask hid his face. 

“Darcy?” a light feminine voice asked from behind the wall of Avenger.

They turned, allowing the woman through. She was dressed in a dark suit, and wore sunglasses. “Hey Jane!” Darcy chirped. “This is my Soulmate! I got an Avenger too!”

The woman’s mouth fell open. “Really?! He gave you colors?! Darcy!” she squealed.

“Can you also explain to these guys why it’s totes okay that he’s proposing marriage please? Preferably somewhere else so that I can make out with him?” Darcy said with a waved hand at the other four.

Jane laughed. “Seriously, it’s okay Mr. Stark, Ms. Romanoff, scary guy and eagle guy. Soulmates with Soul Colors are a bit different from other Bonds. They’re like Empaths – they almost always experience love at first sight.”

“So,” Natasha drawled, “Spontaneous declarations of love and marriage are not uncommon?”

“Nope,” Jane answered before she began shooing them off. “Now get! Darcy’s been waiting twenty-eight years for this. Scram!”

Now visibly less nervous, the others left, Sam with a jaunty wave and Bucky with a saucy wink. Jane hugged Darcy before she skipped back to Thor’s side. “Now, soldier boy, we were about to learn about the color orange.”

“No,” he said, drawing her chin up, “We were about to make out.”

Her eyes turned a darker shade of blue before her lips crashed onto his. 

~~  
Steve didn’t find out until he was trying to hunt her down one day nearly a week after they first met that her last name was Lewis. When he mentioned it, she replied that it didn’t matter because soon her last name was going to be Rogers. He agreed.

~~

“Hey, if you’re Captain America, can everyone call me Mrs. America?”

“Darcy.”

“What? It’s a valid question. Can they call me Mrs. America? You know, like when you’re announced, ‘Captain and Mrs. America.’ It would be so cool.”

“. . .”

“I mean, at like, Avengers functions. Otherwise, of course I’m Mrs. Rogers.”

“I like it better as ‘Captain and Mrs. Rogers.’”

“Aw.”

“ . . . But I bet Tony’d get a kick at next year’s birthday party to announce us as Captain and Mrs. America.”

“I love you!”  
~~

Darcy picked out a solitaire sapphire for her engagement ring set into a silver band. Her dress was red, he wore his dress blues. They were married in a small ceremony only three months after they met, but it would have been sooner if not for her special order wedding dress. Everyone was ordered to wear colorful clothing to the ceremony –Captain and Mrs. (America) Rogers had lived long enough in black and white.


End file.
